William mason



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet- 1. W. MASON. MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.

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N. Pains Pmwmmgmpner, wmnngsm n, c,

(No Model.) l 2A Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. MASON. A A MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.

Patented Deo. 14, 1886.

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Nrrni) STATES PATENT Trice.

VILLIAM MASON, OF NEW' HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YVINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAGAZINE FIRE-ARM..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,328, dated December14, 1886.

Application filed May 3` 1886. Serial No. 200,939. (No model.) I

theletters of reference marked thereon, to bev a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part ofthisspeciea'tiou, and represent, in-

Figure l, a sectional side view showing the parts in the normal orclosed position; Fig. 2, the same showing the parts opening, just as thecarrier begins its. ascent; Fig. 3, a vertical section ot Fig. 2,cutting on line X X through the breech-piece, and showing the rear endofthe two parts of the carrier, Fig. 4, a vertical section through thecarrier, cutting on line Y Y of Fig. 2, and looking rearward; Fig. 5,the same as Fig. 2, showing the parts in the extreme open position, Fig.6, a longitudinal section through the receiver showing atop view of thecarrier; Fig. 7, a vertical section through the part K ofthe carrier inrear of the incline Z and looking forward. Y

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of magazinetire-arms in which the carricris hung at the rear, and adapted to swingup and down, turning upon its pivot at the rear to transfer thecartridge from the magazine to a position forward ot' the front face ofthe breeclrpiece and into line with the barrel. l

In this class of carrier, unless there be some means provided,ihecartridge when raised will stand at a very considerable incline to theline of the barrel, the rear or head end being down ward. Variousdevices have been employed to raise the rear end of the cartridge as itapproaches its up position, so as to bring it more nearly into line withthe barrel than it could be under the simple vibratory movement of thecarrier. It is to this class of earriers that my invention particularlyrelates, and to the class offirearms in which the breech-piece is hungin the receiver below the barrel, so as to swing backward and downwardin opening, and is an improvement upon the Browning arm, Patent No.336,287, the

object being to make the rise of the rear end of the cartridge moregradual than in that patent; and theinveniion consists in a carrierdivided into two parts longitudinally, the two parts hung at the rearupon pivots, one pivot for one part on one side being above the pivot ofthe other part on the opposite side, combined with a lever hung upon afulcruni in the one part near its forward end, and eXtending back flushwith the surface of the carrier when in its down position, with aconnection between the said lever and the other part of the carrier, thesaid connection on the one part and fulerumon the other part being theone above the other, and whereby as the carrier rises the said leverwill be gradually turned to raise its rear end in advance of thecarrier, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the receiver, to which the barrel B is applied, openinginto the receiver at the rear, and with a magazine, C, below the barrel,opening also into the receiver at the rear in the usual manner; D, thebreech-piece hung in the receiver below and in rear of the barrel upon apivot, E, the breech-piece being constructed with a slot, F, at thepivot, inclined backward and upward when the breech-piece is in theclosed position, as seen in Fig. 1, andthe breech-piece also constructedwith a shoulder G, and the receiver with an abutment, H, against whichsaid shoulder G will stand when the breech-piece is in the up position,and so that the iirst part of the opening movement of the breech-piecewill be downward toward the pivot until thc slot F comes'to a bearingthereon, and which downward movement will take the shoulder G on thebreech-piece below the abutment H, and so that the breech-piece niaythen be opened, asin the Browning arm, before referred to, and, as hererepresented, like the Browning arm, the breech-piece is actuated by ancxtension, I, therefrom, to form the lever below the breech-piece.

The carrier is made in two parts, J K, (sce Fig. 4,) the division beinglongitudinal. The one part, K, is hung in one side of the receiver upona pivot, (l, andthe other part, J, is hung at the opposite side of thereceiver upon a pivot, b, the pivot Z) being above the pivot c, and sothat each part may turn upon its own inand terminate, respectively, incheeks L M.

(See. Figs. 4and 6.) This division of the carrier is substantially thesame as that in the Browning patent,before referred to; but in thatpatent the pivots of the t-wo parts are in the same axial line. The partK is constructed with a stud, c7, `upon its inner side, which eX- tendsinto a corresponding opening, e, in the other part, (see Fig. 4,) theopeninge being sufficiently large to allow considerable play for thestud d. In the part J alever, N, is hung Upon an aXis or fulcrum,f,above the stud d, and the stud d extends into an opening, g, in thelever N below the fulcrum f, so that the lever N is connected to bothparts of the carrier, the connection ofthe one part being above theconnection with the other part. A considerable amount'of freedom ispermitted the part K upon its pivot a, and also at the stud g, so that alateral rocking movement may be imparted to the part K, as indicated bybroken lines, Fig. 4, and as and for the same purpose -as in theBrowning gum-that is to say, when the part K is free it may turn outwardto the position indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, and

so as to permit the cartridges to pass freely from,

the magazine onto the carrier between the cheeks L M. Then as thecarrierhcommences its ascent the part K is turned inward to cause thecheeks to grasp the cartridge near its forward end, and so as topreventits displacement in ascending, as in the Browning arm.

The breech-piece is constructed with a shoulder, 7L, to engageacorresponding projection, t', on the part K in rear of its pivot a, asindicated in Fig. 2, this engagement being made as the breech-pieceapproaches its eXtreme open position. Then as the breech-piece completesits opening movement the shoulder 7L will cause the carrier to rise, asindicated in Fig. 5. The shoulder his inclined downward and outward, andthe projection t on the part K is correspondingly inclined, as seen inFig. 3, and so that as the shoulder 7L comes toa bearing upon theprojection t' it imparts to the part K its lateral or inward movement tograsp the cartridge, and this grasp upon the cartridge is maintainedduring the rise of the carrier and while the breech-piece isin its openposition; but so soon as the breech-piece begins its forward movement,and the shoulderhleaves the inclined projection i, then the part M ofthe carrier is free to swing laterally and release the cartridge, sothat as the breech-piece advances it will force the cartridge forwardinto its place in the magazine.

In order that the part M of the carrier may not be left free to swinglaterally when in its down position, but, on the contrary, may be heldin the outward or open position, I construct the inside of the part Kwith an incline, l, (see Figs. `6 and 7,) which leaves a recess in rearof the incline and near the hub or pivot portion of the carrier, whichrecess permits the part K tc be turned inward, as before described, itbeing understoodthat the breech piece works between the two parts J andK, from their pivot forward to the extent indicated in Fig. 1, and thatthe surface of the breech-piece next the part K is substantially fiushwith the inside plane of the part K; but when the carrier is thrownupward by the rear movement of the breech-'piece the recess m in rear ofthe shoulderl permits the inward-turning movement of the carrier, beforedescribed; but when the breech-piece is forced forward, and before itreaches its closed position, the forward edge of the breech-piecesay asat n, Fig. l-strikes the incline Z and forces the part K outward intothe open position, (indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4,) and then theinner face of the part K lies close against the side of thebreech-piece, so that it will be held in the open position so long asthat part of the breech-piece remains forward of the shoulder Z, andconsequently, when the breech-piece is in its closed position and thecarrier down, the part K is practically locked in its open position,which will not only prevent possible obstruction for the rear movementof the cartridge, but will also prevent the rattling of the part K,which 'might occur if not so held.

' The two pi-vots upon which the respective parts of the carrier arehung, and the two points of connection between the parts at the forwardend, give to each parta simultaneous but independent movement, and asthe pivots upon which the parts are hung are xed it follows thatsubstantially the same relation between the two points of connection atthe forward end will be maintained throughout the rise of the carrier,and as these connections at the forward end are made through the lever Nit follows that the lower connection will tend to draw the lower part ofthe lever rearward, while the upper connection will in like manner tendto throw the upper part of the lever forward, and such action throws therear end of the lever upward as the carrier rises, and as fronrtheposition in Fig. 2 to that seen in' Fig. 5, and as this lever extendsbackward beneath the cartridge the rise of its rear end raises the rearend ofthe cartridge IOO from the plane of the carrier, as indicated.

in Fig. 5, and because the movement of the lever to thus raise the rearend of the cartridge is gradual and producedy through substantially theentire rising movement of the carrier, instead ofa sudden movementduring the last part of the rise of the cartridge, as in the Browningarm, before referred to, there is no tendency ofthe lever to throw the.cartridge out of place.

To lock the carrier in its down position, the breech-piece isconstructed with a projection, r, adapted to strike or bear against acorrespending projection, s, on the part J of the carrier in rear of itspivot, and, as seen in Fig. l, so that when the breech-'piece is in itsclosed position the carrier is held down by the projection r bearingagainst the projection s on the carrier; but as the breech-piece opensthe projection ron ther breech-piece passes from the projection s on thecarrier, and leaves the.

carrier free to be raised. This engagement between the breech-piece andthecarrier insures the bringing of the carrier to its extreme downposition to properly receive a cartridge from the magazine.

While illustrating the improvement in the carrier as combined with abreech-piece of the Browning type, it will be evident to those skilledin the art to which this invention pertains that this improvement in thecarrier may be applied in arms with various styles of breech-piece. Itherefore do not wish to be understood as limiting lthe improvement inthe carrier to any particular class of breechpiece.

The construction of the breech-piece and carrier with the projections lrs, whereby the1 carrier is surely brought to and locked in its' downposition, may be applied with various constructions of carrier otherthan that shown in the Browning patent, before referred to. I claim- 1.In a magazine firearm in which the magazine is arranged beneath thebarrel, the barrel and the magazine both opening into the receiver atthe rear, with a breech-piece adapted to open and close the barrel, thecombination therewith of a carrier constructed in two parts, J K, eachhung at the rear upon independent pivots, the axis of the pivot of onepart being above the axis of the pivot of the other part, a lever, N,hung upon a fulcrum in one part, near its forward end, and a connectionfrom the other part with said lever, the said connection and fulcrum`being the one below vthe other, substantially as described, and whereby, as the carrier ascends to transfer a cartridge, the rear arm of saidlever, under the action of the said" two parts of the carrier, will beraised as the carrier ascends.

2. In a magazine firearm having the magazine arranged beneath thebarrel, the magazine and barrel' both opening into the receiver at therear, a breech-piece hung at the rear,

and so as to swing backward and downward in opening, the combinationtherewith of a carrier constructed in two paris, JK, the said two partshung at the rear upon pivots inde- 5o pendent of each other, and theaxis of one pivot above the axis of the other pivot, a lever, N, hungupon a fulcrumvin one part near its forward end, and a connectionbetween the other part and the said lever, the said connec- 55 tion andfulcrum being the one above the other, the breech-piece constructed witha shoulder, h, and one of the parts of the carrier with a correspondingprojection,i,in rear of its pivot, substantially as de cribed. 6o

3. In a magazin firearm having the magazine arranged beneath the barrel,the magazine and barrel both openinginto the' receiver at the rear, abreech-piece hung at the rear, and so as to swing backward and downwardin 65 opening, a carrier hung at the rear and adapted to swing up anddown in the transfer of acartridge, the carrier constructed with aprojection, 8, in rear of its pivot, and the breechpiece withacorrespondingprojection,Z,adapted 7o to engage ,said projection s onthe carrier as the breech-piece approaches its closed posi tion,substantially as described, and whereby -said carrier will be held inits down position.

4. In a magazine lire-arm in which the maga- 75 zine is arranged beneaththe barrel, and the breech piece hung in rear to swing backward anddownward kin opening, the combina- Y tion therewith of a carrierconstructed in two parts, the division being longitudinal, and so 8o asto form a pair of cheeks, one each side the carrier, and between whichparts the breechpiece swings in opening andclosing, one of said partsadapted to swing laterally upon its pivot, the said swinging partconstructed with 8 5 an incline, Z, upon its inner face, and so as toform a recess, m, in rear of said incline, to permit said swingingmovement of the side of the carrier, andthe breech-piece constructed toride over-said incline Z as it closes, and 9o thereby force the saidpart to its open `position, substantially as described.

- WILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, Lan H. DANIELs.'

